Thomas's Emphatic Statement

From the moment the basketball found its way into Etan Thomas's right hand, there was little question about what was going to happen. Thomas palmed the ball, rose and threw down a vicious one-handed dunk over Detroit's Rasheed Wallace, drawing a foul on the former Wizard in the process.

With the basket support still rattling at Verizon Center, Thomas converted the free throw, giving the Wizards an eight-point second-quarter lead in what turned out to be a 110-92 victory over the NBA's best team.

That play was a highlight for the Wizards and for Thomas, who finished with seven points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Thomas also played well in Wednesday's loss at Miami, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes while playing solid defense on Shaquille O'Neal.

Thomas is averaging 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes this season but in six games in March, his production has increased along with his time on the court. In those six games, Thomas is averaging 6.3 points on 53.6 percent shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 21.8 minutes.

"He knows he's in the rotation and he feels good about his game," Wizards Coach Eddie Jordan said. "I think he's really as healthy as he's been all year and feeling good about himself. He knows we have confidence in him."

Thomas smiled when it was suggested that his surge coincided with that of his alma mater, Syracuse, in the Big East Conference tournament in New York this past week but linked his recent production with the increase in playing time.

"The confidence never left, I just had to be patient and wait for my time," Thomas said. "When you have some consistent time on the floor, you have time to make a mistake or two, play through it and you catch your rhythm."

Like his teammates, Thomas said he understands the importance of the final 21 regular season games as the Wizards jostle for playoff position.

"We have a tough stretch coming up, stepping out to the West Coast, but we also can't look too far ahead," said Thomas, who is a team captain along with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. "We have a back-to-back with Charlotte and you saw what happened when we played in Charlotte last time. We're in a tight race right now and every win counts."

Battling the Bobcats

The Wizards will practice today and then, in a scheduling oddity, will play the Charlotte Bobcats on consecutive nights. The Wizards visit Charlotte tomorrow night, where they lost, 100-82, on Nov. 26, and then return to Washington to host the Bobcats Wednesday night. The season series is tied at 1.